Cusco region, Peru · Hard grade
Salkantay Trek
The Inca Trail needs permits booked 5-6 months out and costs nearly double; Salkantay has no permit lottery, can be booked last-minute, and trades Inca stonework for a higher, wilder pass under a 6,271m glaciated peak before dropping into cloud forest to reach Machu Picchu on foot.
Photo: McKay Savage, CC BY 2.0
5 days, Hard grade, up to 4,650m. Best season: Apr–Oct (dry season). Base: Cusco, ~3 hr drive to Mollepata/Soraypampa trailhead. Suits: Solo, Couple, Group.
How to reach it
Tour vans leave Cusco around 4am and drive roughly 3 hours via Limatambo to Mollepata or Soraypampa, where the trek begins on foot up the Humantay valley toward the pass.
Permits
No government trekking permit or daily cap, unlike the Inca Trail — just a Machu Picchu entrance ticket (and return train/bus from Aguas Calientes), so it can be booked close to travel dates; check current Machu Picchu ticket rules as these change.
Gear
Warm layers for sub-zero nights near the pass, waterproof jacket and broken-in boots; sleeping bags and trekking poles rent cheaply in Cusco.
What it costs
From ₹33,000 per person, all-in from Cusco — transport, permits, a guide where required and food on the trail. Open the live planner to price it for your own dates and party size.
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks and change with season and demand — always check live fares and current permit rules before you go. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.